How to motivate student to speak English

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Asita

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Hi,
I'm a beginner of English teacher that teach student in private tutorial. One of my students seems really worry to speak English when I want him to respond my question or my statement with English. I have attempted to motivate him to just feel free to speak up, but I still feel that it does not really works. He seems that he is still very worry to speak up even though I have said to him that do a wrongness in using grammatical rule when speaking is normal. Whereas, He can be well-understood what I have explained when I use my English.

Perhaps, you can give me ideas to overcome this problem. What should I do to motivate him in order he want to speak up?

Best regard,
Asita
 

Tdol

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Non-native speakers are doing the hard work. It's easy for me to speak English - I was born into it. It is a lot harder for those studying. Who cares about whether they're 100% grammatically perfect if you can understand them? A non-native speaker should not feel guilty or worried about speaking - they should focus on being understood.
 
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Esredux

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It could also depend on hundreds of other factors like the learner's age for example. Teenagers or mature adults are generally more reluctant to speak than children or young adults. Some students, regardless of their age, will typically clam up if there is no one to talk to apart from the teacher. Another common torture is when the teacher wants her students to come up with answsers for the sake of speaking only whereas students might need time to structure their ideas or simply don't know what to say. Basically, one of multiple teacher's responsibilities is to work out what could be wrong with this particular student and how he can be helped (you might want to google for 'needs analysis'). If you share the same language, you can easily discuss what makes it difficult for him to talk and what kind of help he would expect from you (more time before answering, more language input -vocabulary, grammar, idioms, more ideas, etc.)
 

eldaryandini

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Hi,
I'm a beginner of English teacher that teach student in private tutorial. One of my students seems really worry to speak English when I want him to respond my question or my statement with English. I have attempted to motivate him to just feel free to speak up, but I still feel that it does not really works. He seems that he is still very worry to speak up even though I have said to him that do a wrongness in using grammatical rule when speaking is normal. Whereas, He can be well-understood what I have explained when I use my English.

Perhaps, you can give me ideas to overcome this problem. What should I do to motivate him in order he want to speak up?

Best regard,
Asita

First, the teacher needs to make students in a small group, give a topic and discuss with their friends to make them be brave to speak up although there are many grammatical errors within. After they are brave to contribute their ideas in a small group, ask them to speak up what they have discussed with their groups to provoke them in speaking.
 

IQIsantiago

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editing
 
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anafitrotul

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Dear Asita : I actually have the same problem as you. I had an experience of teaching in English course, the students were the 1st up to the 3rd grade of elementary school. they were so afraid to speak English, even a word, whereas i have said that "It's no problem to make a mistake". but they are still silent. My solution for that problem was I make them love English. to make them love English I gave them more games and songs. they were so happy, and i think that's successful to make them love English. when they love English would enjoy all material and activities about English. then I prepared an easy question or easy material. when they speak, or answer the question, I give them reward. the reward can be a snack or score or just say " very good". I gave them a reward even they make a mistake on their speaking. at the following for every meeting I always give variety of activities, that will not make them bored. those all my suggestion for you. you can visit this page for the complete solutions http://www.teacherjoe.us/TeachersMotivate.html
 

Heikezelle

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Hi,
Thank you for your post and I like to share this experience with you:
I have struggled with the same problem as you several times coming to the country I am currently living and working as a ´lector for conversation´ who is supposed to teach speaking besides the ´proper English teacher who is teaching grammar and vocabulary´.
So the expectation was that I taught students speaking the language, but as you describe in your question they were very reluctant to use the language. Obviously, the older and more mature the students were the more reluctant - even unwilling - they became to use and speak the language.
I tried to solve the problem by well-worked out work-sheets with selected texts, vocabulary, written questions and gap-filling activities, but to no end: the students would not react and join in the conversation.
Then I discovered this link: http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/esl-for-adults - (also published as an Amazon paperback) with English teaching games. Suddenly I had a great tool for planning my lessons. The book provides hundreds of games and game-like activities you can use to provoke the usage of language and discussions in classroom. I recently used the activities to present the topic of national feasts and to practise language clusters and sentence structures. It was a big success: I felt that I had made a topic like national feasts very meaningful to students and that they were not bored.
From the feed-back I now get from my students I judge that the students feel good when doing the activities in my classroom, they gain plenty of practise (the activities are often cleverly disguised drill-excercises) and they become confident to use the language.

Good luck!:lol:
 
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